Field Seminar in International Relations

This course provides an overview of the key issues and theories of global change and international affairs in the twenty-first century. Introductory sessions will cover core theories as well as integrating concepts to help understand international relations as a complex interplay between power and interests, cooperation and discord; institutions and norms, diverse actors from great powers to small states as well as the (newly) recognized importance of middle powers, power transition, and global order. Especially this course will explore the challenges of ‘shaping’ the international environment and consider critically the notions of power and influence in international relations. The various dimensions of influence are explored by looking at themes such as: geopolitics and strategy; communications in international relations; the utility and limits of military power; and the role of legitimacy in international relations.
It is anticipated that students will develop a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the complexities of the international system in the twenty-first century. Through assigned academic writings, students are directed to the linkage between emerging global events and to thinking critically about how the global agenda of the new millennium will be shaped by drivers such as globalisation, cooperation and discord, and major power transitions.
The following outcomes are emphasized:
1.Ability to approach both theoretical debates and foreign policy outcomes with diverse analytical tools
2.Ability to collate and evaluate arguments from different sources and perspectives
3.Ability to formulate and articulate views coherently in written and oral form
4.Critical thinking, analytical and reading skills